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Reports on techniques for testing embryos for genetic disorders in in vitro fertilization. Test for fragile X syndrome by removing eggs from a woman's ovary and letting them grow to the eight-cell stage; Freezing of embryos while the cell is analyzed; Development of probes for chromosomal defects; Concerns over unethical reproductive choices; Uterine lavage.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "Beware Prenatal Gene Screens," by the journal's editors in the Science Agenda column of the February 2016 issue.

The author discusses aspects of prenatal gene tests in the U.S. Topics discussed include the safety improvement on the procedures to check the genes of the unborn child, the uncertainty over the sensitivity rate of the screening tests, and the need for the Food and Drug Administration to follow up the testing procedures.

Examines the use of DNA amplification that could simplify prenatal diagnosis of genetic disease in a developing fetus. Reliance of the technique on polymerase chain reaction; Primer strands of artificial DNA that bind at each end of the stretch of target DNA that is to be amplified; Experiments with fluorescent antibody probes that bind only to fetal cells.

In this article the authors discuss gene mapping of unborn children and the dangers of improper guidance for parents. They note two different laboratories that reveal the entire genetic code of a fetus using a blood sample from the mother, the benefits of prenatal whole-genome sequencing, such as a gene-testing service called 23andMe, the uncertainties such tests raise for parents, and whole-genome sequencing's impact on attitudes toward child rearing.

The article reports the discovery of a prenatal testing method that does not carry the risk of miscarriage. The method, which is based on a technique for analyzing the mother's blood to distinguish maternal DNA from fetal DNA, can analyze the genetic material of the fetus in order to determine whether it has a single-gene mutation such as cystic fibrosis or sickle cell anemia.